Feature request for parameters - ordering and grouping

[Julie_7]

I hope I am posting this in the correct place. I am not looking for help from user. I want to send this to the Fusion 360 support team.

Parameters are great for model reuse, maintaining consistency, etc. However, they are unnecessarily hard to use for all the purposes. They should support

- scope

- grouping

- ordering

- easier management.

Scope

I am using the hack for global parameters by creating a design just for global parameters, then creating a reference to it. This is not convenient, but it is usable. Because cloud storage is forced, it is hard to understand the complete storage structure. I believe that a project is just like a folder, but at the top level.

I would like to be able to create parameters from the dialog at the level of project, design (which is corresponds to a file) and component. When I open the parameter editor those should show as separate sections based on the currently selected component.

Grouping

I have already mentioned automatically created groups based on scope. I would also like to create custom groups for convenience. This is for ease of use and any given group should be collapsible in the parameters dialog. (The dialog already does this for model, user, and favorites.) Currently Model Parameters are already grouped by component, but instead of renaming the component parameter, I need to create a user parameter that is the value of the component parameter.

Naming

Continuing from grouping, the requirement to create a user parameter to assign to the model parameter just creates more parameters and complicates the system. Instead, allow model parameters to have the current system name, and add a user name column so that the user can rename them and use the name that makes sense. When a user name is provided it is just an alias, but it is available in the completion dialog for dimensions and formulas.

**Ordering**

This is the most important issue right now as it makes models with many parameters almost unusable. Auto-complete helps, but looking at the parameter dialog to reconfigure a model is very hard. All it would take for the minimal solution is to add a field to the data structure for favorites and user parameters called "order". Then I could export the parameter list and set the order field as desired and then import the parameters. The development only requires adding the order field and using it to display the parameters.

Of course being able to change the order in the dialog would be a better solution.

Easier Management of Parameters

The parameter dialog is much more difficult than it should be. I have mentioned several issues above that could be improved. In addition, adding user parameters by

- clicking on add parameter

- opening a new dialog that I have to use for input

- closing the dialog when I hit enter regardless of what field I am in

could be simplified by just allowing add in place, just like some of the fields can be edited currently. Just keep a blank row at the bottom of the list that I can edit and when I enter values in that entry then create a new blank row at the end. (Note: this requires allowing changing units of the parameter in the table which is currently disallowed, even if the parameter has not been used. I have to delete it and recreate it just to change the type, which often happens when I create a parameter with no units.)

[sutherland-]

Hi @Julie_7 

Thanks for the post. This feature has been requested multiple times already for past few years.

[TrippyLighting]

@jeff_strater @jodom4 can you take note of this please?

This request is very well written.

[Julie_7]

I did realize that in the parameters dialog you can click on the column title and sort parameters by name. This helps some.

[jhackney1972]

Parameter sort and filter options have been enhanced with today Fusion 360 update.  Go to What's New under the Help icon to read all about it.  Here is a screen capture of most of it.